“Once upon a time there was a family with two daughters, and a mother and father who had promised to love them both the same.” So begins We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler. Kirkus Review called the book, “A fantastic novel: technically and intellectually complex, while emotionally gripping.” Ursula Le Guin described the family which is the subject of the story as, “A very American, an only-in-America family – and yet an everywhere family, whose children, parents, siblings, love one another very much and damage one another badly.” Le Guin adds, “This is a strong, deep, sweet novel.”
It’s also a story that contains a surprise, so don’t read too much about it before you start into it (unless you don’t like surprises). Published in 2013, it is still available in bookstores and libraries. You might know the author from her best-seller, The Jane Austen Book Club, which was made into a movie in 2007. April Herron will lead the discussion, to take place on Monday, April 29, at 7:00 p.m. in the sanctuary.
